Bag stringing machine



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19 Sheets-Sheet 19 Filed June 21, 1944 Patented Got. 25, 1949 UNlTED STATES ATENT' OFFICE BAG STRINGIN G MACHINE Edward E. West, Richmond, Va.

Application June 21, 1944, Serial No. 541,431.

29 Claims. I

This invention relates to improvements in bag stringing machines.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide improved bag supporting, gripping, turning and delivering mechanism for bag stringing machines, and is an improvement over my Patent No. 2,374,572, dated April 24, 1945.

Another object is the provision of improved bag supporting, gripping, bag opening and de- Iivering mechanism, having means associated therewith for automatically stopping the machine, at various stations, to prevent improperly strung bags from passing through the machine.

Another object is to provide an improved stringing machine incorporating automatic stopping means for stopping the machine at various stations, and combined automatic bag turning and needle inspecting means for rejecting improperly strung bags.

A further object of the invention is to provide means associated with the stringing needles for supporting the bag while the latter is be'mg stretched on the needles and turned right side out.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for turning the bag right side out with a minimum of strain on the gripping action of the bag hem grippers.

Another object of the present invention is to provide bag supporting, gripping and turning mechanism for bag stringing machines which will operate with maximum speed and efficiency.

A further object of my invention is to provide improved and more accurately operating inspection means at the bag turning and stringing station for detecting and rejecting improperly strung bags.

Another object is to provide means for rolling back or turning the hem portion only of the bag right side out preliminary to stringing and thereafter to completely turn the body of the bag.

A still further object is to so combine the bag inspection and bag turning means that these two operations are simultaneously accomplished.

Still another object is the provision of an improved bag stringing machine having bag delivering and automatic counting mechanism associated therewith for counting a predetermined number of properly strung bags being positioned within the bag receptacle.

Still another object is to provide means for partially turning the mouth end of the bag right side out to facilitate proper entry of the bag turning arm between the rolled back hem and the wall of the bag during the final turning operation.

In the machine of my aforesaid pending application hemmed bags are fed in chain connected form from a source of supply to a horizontally disposed feeding and cutting mechanism which engages the hems of the successively fed bags, severs the connecting seam threads and carries successive bags to one pair of horizontally disposed rotatable bag receiving grippers at the bag gripping and turning station, there being four radially extending pairs of bag receiving gripping members mounted upon a rotating turret head. The bags are then gripped and turned right side out preparatory to being rotated, one step, to a vertical stringing position or station, where they are strung with conventional draw strings, a pair of stringing needles being provided for this pur' pose. As the bags were not positively supported and held taut by the needles during the turning of the bag, undue stress was placed on the bag grippers thus resulting in many inaccurately positioned bags reaching the stringing station. A bag rejection mechanism is associated with the stringing needles so that if the needles fail to enter and pass through the bag hems, the improperly strung bag will be rejected. As this inspection operation was efiected independently of and after the turning of the bag right side out, in the machine of my copending application, it slowed the operation of the machine and. was therefore objectionable. Furthermore, the complete turning of the bag at the bag receiving station objectionably slowed the gripping and p0 sitioning of the hem in stringing position. It was also found that due to the necessity of speeding up the turning operation, the turner arm was caused to hit the bag so hard that the hem would frequently be. pulled loose from the gripper jaws.

According to the present invention the foregoing objections are obviated by rolling backv the hem, then stringing the bag and. simultaneously turning the big right side out, while the bag is being turned and positively supported in stretched condition and by providing the bag turning mechanism with bag inspection means so that the bag will be automatically and accurately inspected during stringing and while the bag turnin operation is being performed.

These and other objectsand advantages will be apparent as the specification is: considered in connection with the: accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figures 1 and 1a constitute a plan view of the complete bag stringing machine having parts broken away for clarity, showing the relative po- 

